Small scale fluid flow sensor assemblies are currently employed in a wide variety of applications ranging from industrial fluid flow applications to medical therapy delivery devices. For example, such sensor assemblies may be utilized in conjunction with intravenous (IV) fluid delivery devices to monitor flow characteristics of an IV solution to a patient. Additionally, such sensor assemblies may be utilized in conjunction with certain respiratory equipment. This notwithstanding, the manufacture of such fluid flow measurement sensor assemblies typically involves significant production costs due to the use of unique and customized fabrication processes. These costs are especially significant in applications in which the fluid flow measurement sensor assemblies are routinely discarded; e.g., when such sensor assemblies are used in disposable devices, such as IV fluid delivery devices of the type mentioned above.
One known type of fluid flow measurement sensor assembly that may be somewhat less costly to produce comprises a longitudinal housing that defines a cavity and a fluid flowbody having a flow restricting element therein (e.g., a constriction, such as a venturi). The cavity is disposed at an intermediate portion in the housing and includes (1) a relatively large chamber accessible at an outer surface of the housing, (2) a first aperture that joins the chamber to the flowbody proximate an upstream portion thereof, and (3) a second aperture that joins the chamber to the flowbody proximate a downstream portion thereof. A fluid flow measurement device is disposed within the chamber. The device includes first and second conventional fluid pressure probes or sensors (e.g., micro-electromechanical system, or MEMS), which are disposed in the upstream aperture and the downstream apertures, respectively. As a fluid (e.g., a liquid) passes through the flowbody, the sensors measure the pressure of the fluid at the upstream and downstream portions of the constriction, and the fluid flow measurement device determines the rate of fluid flow.
Though fluid flow sensor assemblies of the type described above may be somewhat less costly to produce than other known sensor assemblies, the production of these sensor assemblies still requires a unique and customized fabrication process, particularly in the manufacture of the flowbody housing, and is thus still relatively expensive. Considering this, it should be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide a fluid flow sensor assembly that is less costly to produce by, for example, utilizing conventional component-level packaging and high volume manufacturing techniques. Additionally, it should be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide a method for the producing such a fluid flow sensor assembly. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.